First of all, look at the style of running you want to do – there are shoes for sprinters, marathon runners, weekend joggers, so pick something that’s suited to your field. I would say, look at the best in that area and check their feet. Someone like Mo Farah wears shoes that are like tiny little slippers so that might be your best bet. Having said that, he’s slight, light as a feather, and he runs with excellent technique so he’s unlikely to require a shoe that provides too much support from heel strike. A bigger, heavier person with a more unorthodox running style is going to need more support.

One way of getting the right shoe is to visit a specialist store and talk to one of their experts about the style of running you want to do. They’ll put you on a treadmill and assess the way you run and suggest a suitable shoe for your style and physique. The alternative is to the research on your own. Investigate the style of running you want to do and assess how the technique involved affects the body, then pick a shoe that counteracts those sensations.

The third method is to buy the perfect running shoe in your field and work on technique – though that will require more time and effort. Personally, I like a barefoot style running shoe and work with the people I train on their technique so they don't heel strike.